Appraiser Arlie Sulka said, "The crate, in a retail setting, this is something for Tiffany geeks everywhere—collectors, museums, they would actually be very excited about this, and it would be worth between $5,000 and $10,000.” “Holy cow,” the woman reacted. The crate was actually worth more than the pastel glass vase, which was appraised at $2,000 to $3,000.

The surprises kept on coming. The paperweight glass vase, which the woman thought would be valued between $8,000 and $10,000 was actually worth between $50,000 and $75,000. But the rarest of the vases was something Sulka had been waiting to see.

"This is the piece I was waiting for for 20 years,” Sulka said. “And what I can tell you is, every night before the Roadshow, people would always say, ‘What is on your wish-list? What would you like to come in to the show tomorrow?’ And I always say, 'A Tiffany lava vase.’ And that's what this is. It’s extremely special.”

She said a similar vase has been on display at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, France since 1906. The estimated value of the piece the woman brought in: $100,000 to $150,000 retail. The value of all four items, including the crate, was $157,000 to $238,000.